WHAT started as a chancy comeback has progressed to a group 1 appearance for the Cudgee trained-and-bred Crescent Glory, which will contest tonight’s Inter Dominion Trotting Championship grand final.
It is the second group 1 starter for trainer John Meade, who had the same horse in the same race four years ago.
But between then and now, Crescent Glory’s career has been punctuated by injury.
“He had a back tendon injury and a check ligament in a back leg,” Meade said.
“He probably did it mucking around in a paddock rather than in a race.
“He was probably having a buck and a kick and that’s when he did it.”
The injury was thankfully diagnosed by Michael Wraight at Warrnambool Veterinary Clinic and was subsequently operated on in Ballarat about 15 months ago.
“Ballarat had never done that type of operation before, only on showjumpers,” said Meade, who initially heard contrasting prognoses.
“One vet said that when he got the check ligament, he was finished.
“Then another said that he couldn’t see why he couldn’t get back.
“You always hope you can get them back but you’ve got to be realistic in this game.
“Any horse trainer will tell you that it’s not a matter of if a horse breaks down but when a horse breaks down.
“They can get sore and they can get old, that’s what happens. But we always hoped to get him back.”
And connections have, thanks to an intense rehabilitation which started with icing and bandaging.
The gelding was also confined to his box overlooking a Cudgee dairy farm for two weeks.
Meade then started to walk Crescent Glory for five minutes a day.
“Then we gradually went to walking for three-quarters-of-an-hour, then trotting for five minutes a fortnight,” he said.
The trotting, which started about three months after the operation, doubled in time each fortnight before building up to solid pace work.
The eight-year-old has completed 11 races since his two-year layoff.
“He’s probably not quite up to his peak yet,” Meade said.
“He probably needs a couple more runs but we’re just hoping he runs well (tonight) and has a bit of luck and then carries on.”
Crescent Glory enters tonight’s 2760-metre final at Melton after competing in two Inter Dominion heats.
“He ran second in the first heat at Shepparton a couple of weeks ago and then he ran (eighth) last Saturday in another heat,” Meade said.
“I wasn’t too happy with the last one but he doesn’t like that track.
“He likes the Melton track better.
“He goes better when the pace is on.”
Dairy farmer Meade, who has four horses in work, described Crescent Glory as a rough chance tonight after an undesirable draw, starting from third position in the second row.
Champion driver Kerryn Manning will guide the trotter in the $250,000 feature.
The race is scheduled for 8pm.
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